Chaturanga Dandasana – For Beginners – Four Limb Staff Pose

Chaturanga dandasana can be called as four limb staff pose in English. Chatura means four, anga means limbs, danda means staff and asana means posture or pose. It is one of the hardest poses in yoga which actually looks simple to do it.

Procedure:

Before we actually go for this asana you should make a solid foundation, that is you got to align your shoulders and your body weight which should be distributed in balanced way (in plank pose).

So initially go for plank pose or kumbhaka asana, balance your body on your shoulders and toes nicely, spiral your elbows forward, suck in the belly, inhale and drop down your chest by exhaling slowly then rest of the body with the hands resting in backward direction and toes down relatively pointed. Do this process for several times so that you get habituated with your balance of the body.

Now after dropping down your whole body, align your shoulders in this way, try to bring back your hands from backward direction in such a way that your forearms has to be vertical, palms nicely pressing into the floor. Don’t point your shoulders in forward direction, by taking the guidance from shoulder blades try to roll back and activate them. At the end of the day grip the floor with your fingers firmly for solid foundation after alignment of arms. This is the initial part.

Second part is try to lift the knees, knees straighter, on your toes firmly;

Final part is try to suck in the belly inhale lift the body or chest in such a way that your elbows has to be in 90 degrees (with activated shoulders), make sure that your elbows doesn’t get too behind or too beyond to your wrists position. Stay for atleast 15 seconds to 30 seconds and have a normal breath. Then drop down slowly by exhaling.

Go for bhujangasana by inhaling, then try to relax in child’s pose.

Do this asana for atleast 5 to 10 times in a day and people think that this posture resembles like an low push ups but it is entirely different concept.

You also have two more ways to do this asana please check this video below.